The Anglican Bishop of Newcastle has defended a priest over a sign outside a Gosford church that read, “Hell exists and it’s on Nauru”. The messages on the signboard outside the church on the NSW Central Coast, of which Father Rod Bower is archdeacon, have taken aim at detention centre operator Transfield on more than Read more
Asia Pacific
Catholic objection to plan for burning PNG cultural items
Tuesday, September 1st, 2015
Catholics in a Papua New Guinea diocese were urged by their bishop to have nothing to do with services involving the burning of cultural items. In a pastoral letter to the faithful of Vanimo diocese, Bishop Cesare Bonivento warned against “Solemn Assembly” services on August 26. This date is the “National Day of Repentance” in Read more
Guam governor won’t sign marriage bill, but it is law
Tuesday, September 1st, 2015
Guam’s Catholic governor let a bill defining marriage as between two people, regardless of gender, lapse into law, rather than sign it himself. Governor Eddie Calvo’s religious beliefs prevented him signing Bill 119-33, also called the “Guam Marriage Equality Act”. The bill was introduced into the legislature in June, hours after the District Court of Read more
PNG drought heading to become humanitarian crisis
Friday, August 28th, 2015
Dry weather has gripped much of Papua New Guinea in recent months, while frosts in the last fortnight in the country’s highland regions have destroyed vital food supplies. A state of emergency has already been declared in Enga and Southern highlands. The El Niño typically linked to dryness and frosts are often an early symptom Read more
Bougainville bikies spreading message of peace
Friday, August 28th, 2015
A bikies group made up of former combatants of Bougainville’s civil war is spreading the message of peace across the country. The Bougainville Motocross Club has proved immensely popular and has helped turn around the lives of people who were affected by the war. The club’s founding president, Emilroy Augustine, said the club had toured Read more
Rising sea levels an indisputable fact say Bishops
Tuesday, August 25th, 2015
A statement from a meeting of Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania has expressed concern about “the indisputable fact of rising sea levels.” “In some cases, entire regions and nations are under threat from the indisputable fact of rising sea levels,” the statement says. “Examples from this part of the world include the Carteret Islands, Read more
Anglican Sisters run only domestic violence refuge in Solomons
Tuesday, August 25th, 2015
The Anglican Church of Melanesia runs the only domestic violence refuge in the Solomon Islands. It is run by a handful of nuns, one of whom doubles as a nurse. The Christian Care Centre was established without Government support in 2000. Now working with the backing of World Vision, they take in women and children Read more
Same sex marriage: mixed reaction to Cook Is PM’s stance
Friday, August 21st, 2015
There has been a mixed online response to Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna’s remarks about the legalisation of same sex marriage in the Cook Islands. In a press conference last week he said that it was not currently an issue and there is no need to deal with it until it becomes one. His comments Read more
Timor Lesté Church commemorates 500 years
Friday, August 21st, 2015
About 8,000 Catholics packed an open coastal area on the west side of Dili, Timor Lesté’s capital, to mark 500 years of the Church’s presence in the island nation. The Aug 15 Mass was held at Tasitolu, the site of a 1989 Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. Catholics came from all over the Read more
Hopes New Zealand will back Papua mission plan
Friday, August 21st, 2015West Papua is hoping New Zealand will support its call for a fact finding team to be sent to the region to look into human rights abuses by Indonesia. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua is an observer member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and wants similar status at the Pacific Islands Forum. Papua Read more